we heart Glee

We’re giddy with anticipation over the return of Glee to our television sets on Wednesday, April 13th! And you know how we are over our beloved television shows here at we heart this. We’ve got posts all week long celebrating the magic of Glee. Just like a Peanut Butter Cup, Glee takes two great tastes (in this case the awesomeness of a musical and the angsty high of teen drama-dies) and brings them together for one spectacular result. So, even you if are not a fan of Glee (though hopefully we’ll have you converted soon) join us as we celebrate the comeback of Glee with more teen age pop culture then an old issue of Sassy! Review team member Kellie starts us off with a spot on look at just why this musical hour fills our hearts with glee…

What were you like in high school? Were you a jock, a nerd, a cheerleader, or perhaps something else? High school was such a tumultuous time for most of us. The exhilarating and often painful moments that were experienced in those hallowed halls seem to be the catalyst for self-discovery and for figuring out where you belong. As a young person, I definitely marched to the beat of my own drummer and was somewhat of a geek. Of course these are not bad qualities to have. But sadly, teenagers typically treat those who are different with the kiss of death. Consequently, I often felt awkward, lonely, and lacked confidence during this period of time. But everything suddenly changed for me once I joined my school’s show choir. There, I found a home where for the first time I felt free to be myself and to nurture my creativity.

For those of you not in the know, show choirs are song and dance groups who perform from a variety of musical genres for entertainment and sometimes competitions. Haven’t heard of show choir? Perhaps you know it by its now more famous moniker—glee.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past year, you have at least heard about Fox’s smash hit television series Glee. The show is beloved across the nation and is quickly developing converts around the world. The fledgling show already has merchandise, a tour, and even an invite to the White House Easter Egg Roll, among other things. Normally, I’m turned off by this type of commercial success. But I simply cannot deny my love for this little gem. I am here today to tell you why I heart Glee.

Glee is a dramedy co-created by Ryan Murphy (who is also known for his other well-regarded series Nip/Tuck and Popular) that debuted in 2009. It is set at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. The series centers on the trials and tribulations of members of the school’s glee club, “New Directions”. Glee is a vivid and accurate portrayal of the agony and ecstasy of high school. But don’t let the high school setting fool you into believing that this series is all about teenagers. There is, in my opinion, an equally compelling adult-driven story line. Aesthetically and emotionally, Glee often reminds me of a John Waters film with its bright colors, awesome music, kooky villains, offbeat underdogs, and immense heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTt4pyfXXUE&feature=related

The series is rightfully known for its amazing musical numbers. Ryan Murphy has a real knack for having the right mix of show tunes and contemporary songs represented on the show. I was consistently amazed last year by the unusual and outstanding cast covers of songs by artists ranging from Journey to Amy Winehouse. The return of the show this month should bring some amazing Madonna and Lady Gaga covers. Regardless of how bleak my mood is, this music puts a smile on my face and I can’t help but sing.

At first glance, it might be easy to dismiss Glee as fluff. There are musical numbers. There are a lot of people dressed in vivid candy-colored hues. And on the surface, some of the characters could appear to be stereotypes. Fortunately, the wonderful cast deftly brings their characters to life. I am particularly in awe of the marvelous Jane Lynch, who plays the cheerleading coach and arch-nemesis of the glee club to a hilarious “T”. I am here to tell you that this show has a lot of heart underneath its shiny façade.

At its core, Glee is about the joy and the pain of finding out who you are and owning it. I can so clearly relate to the journey of the glee club kids as they struggle to figure it all out. And as a 33-year-old, I can equally appreciate that the adult characters on the show are struggling just the same. I am still a geek who is happily trying to figure it all out. Glee is a fun and nostalgic reminder for me of who I was, who I am, and who I hope to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr5ihVHSgdA

Will you be watching when Glee returns on April 13th? I know that I will be—and I’ll be singing along!

Kellie is a perpetual grad student, glamorous geek and writer. She hopes to one day soon add the title of history teacher to her repertoire. She resides in the frozen tundra of Northeast Ohio and is an avid consumer of books, tv, music, video games, beauty stuff, and accessories.

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Comments

I absolutely LOVE Glee! I’m so excited for the show’s return! I was a show choir (and drama and band and chorus and cheerleader and french club… you get the idea ;)) kid in school so this show is hilarious to me! Great post Kellie, I think you did a great job breaking down the show.

For the other huge Glee fans out there who can sing, did you know you can auditions for the show right from your couch?! All you need to do is head over to Myspace and submit a video. Sadly you do have to be between 16 and 26 (Eek! I only have a month left to submit and entry!) but for those of us in that range, why not?

Well you certainly have me geeked up for Glee, Kellie! Great post! I’ve heard great things about the show, but have never given it a try and now I will. I too was a pretty quiet high school kid until I found my place in theatre…we didn’t have a show choir at my VERY small school (44 kids in my grad class), but acting in plays brought me right out of my shell – can’t wait to check this out now – thanks!!

I cannot wait! I was slow on the Glee uptake, and only watched the first season when it came out on DVD. But now I’m hooked and counting down the hours until it’s on again. My weeks will be structured around never missing another episode EVER!

Fabulous post Kellie. I especially love the line “Glee is about the joy and the pain of finding out who you are and owning it.” Owning it is just as important as discovering it, it’s so true. And not always easy, whether you’re an adult or teen.

I was not much of a joiner for most of my High School years. I was a bit of a sh*t who thought I was too cool for clubs. But my senior year, when all of my older friends were gone, I was in my first (and second) play. It was a blast, I absolutely loved it. And of course, regretted not getting involved sooner.

Glee allows me this little fantasy of “what if I did embrace my inner geek sooner, and not cared so much about what people thought of me?” It could have been real fun! And in a weird way, I feel like I’m having as much fun as the characters are, if only for an hour.

What a great write up Miss Kellie – you have captured so much of what I love about Glee! I wasn’t a theatre kid either, but music was my whole life in high school, so I can relate to so much on this show. And what I truly love is how it manages to be full of sweetness without being syrupy. Also, it’s incredibly funny and whip smart and it looks so pretty too. Glee is an hour of pure fun for me every week – can’t wait for it to be back – this wait is killing me!
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Great post Kellie! You really got me interested in Glee! Unfortunately, we just go rid of our Cable.. Gasp, I know! Until we get our fancy digital antenna hooked up, we’ll have to live vicariously through you guys. You also got me thinking about my yesteryears. I was never a so-called “geek” at any age. That was so-not-cool in my little pea brain. I was however, a good friend to all – Jocks, Heads, Geeks, and Honor students! I was welcomed in every group imaginable. – Music, Photography, Swimming, softball, gymnastics, basketball, cheerleading, even skateboarding and surfing.. I had the knack of finding a common ground with everyone. I attribute that ability to my Mom. She’d befriend anyone/thing that walked the earth.. I sang in many school and church choirs beginning in elementary school through college. Love to sing, and probably should do more of it now.. I even took professional voice lessons in high school to teach me various techniques. If I could go back, I would probably have not changed too much! I really look back on my childhood with such fondness! Here’s to Glee! :)

OK, pleeeeease no one hate me, but I can’t seem to get into Glee, no matter how hard I try. Maybe it’s due to my 20s being full of attending bad musical theater productions, but I cannot seem to reignite my passion for any musical-themed movies/tv/theater no matter how hard I try. I really, really wanted to love Glee but…I don’t. *hides eyes* BUT, I have to say that this post made me willing to give it another shot. And since WHT is doing a Glee week, I have a feeling I’ll be pumped up and ready to tune in for one more try…please send your musical-loving vibes my way. :)

Glee! I love this show. I got sucked in mid way through the first season. Each week I found myself tapping my feet along to the beat, and whatever catchy song they sang that week was in my head the next day. I can’t wait for it to start back up again.

I really can’t believe that I have not seen this. I don’t watch series TV anymore (except Project Runway) for good or bad, but you sure do make me want to rethink that position…cuz I loooooooooovvvvveeee musicals!

I guess real life isn’t like the typecasts of Glee. We all probably fell into more than one category in high school. But if I had to stereotype myself, I would say I was the overachiever. Good grades, in all the clubs, nice to everyone, etc. What can I say? I was a people-pleaser. But no longer, folks! No more people pleasing here. :) Thanks for the post, Kellie! Made me revisit some high school memories.

GREAT review, Kellie! I have recently become a huge Glee fan. I had initially been a little turned off by the idea of tons of singing and dancing geeky high school kids, but my friends persuaded me to watch it, and I became obsessed :P Glee is an amazing show, has great songs, has great characters, and a great story.

I want to thank everyone for their kind words and support for my first writing assignment at WHT! It means a lot. I love you guys!! And I hope that those who haven’t watched Glee give it a try. It is such a joy to watch. Come back next week and let us know what you think.

I love Glee! I remember watching the very first episode and being so excited about it, I called my husband into the room to watch it. We thought it captured the voice of high school students brilliantly and made you feel their anguish and struggle to find themselves. The cheerleading coach cracks us up the most…if anyone’s ever seen the movie “Role Models” she stole the show, and she plays a very similar character on Glee. I will admit, it was hard to get into to a musical on primetime, but the music choices are so fun, I couldn’t help but enjoy all of the music, whether it comes off as cheesy or not. Heard the whole cast of Glee will be on Oprah today so don’t forget to watch or tape it!

I’m a late-comer to Glee also, I’ve been catching up on DVD and I love it. My favorite thing is how they don’t have a real “bad guy” in there, even the popular guys and girls have real issues. It’s fun and interesting and never takes itself too seriously. (I about wet myself when the fotoball team did “Single Ladies” on the field….)

And as current theatre geek (in the midst of two shows right now, AHH!) I love that they have Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison on there. It’s so great to see Broadway stars be able to make the crossover on occasion….

I absolutely love Glee, even though I joined the party late. I’ve caught up on all of the episodes, but I still haven’t seen the Pilot episode. I love the writing on this show—it’s intelligent, witty, and usually ridiculously funny. Jane Lynch effing kills me on this show. Her character, Sue Sylvester, even has a Twitter page:http://twitter.com/S_SylvesterGLEE

Awesome job Kellie! I was a geek. I did musical theater and show choir but we never did choreography in the choir cause it was a religious school and they feared dancing would send us straight to hell. No, really. I watch Glee and imagine that is the true show choir experience.

I completely adore this show. It’s my favorite. I was so mad when FOX pushed it back for American Idol. It seems to me that they really risked viewer loss of interest with such a long hiatus. I was worried for it, since it’s such a non-mainstream kind of thing. But it’s back and better than ever. Viva la Glee!